Hubbard Named An Early Season Candidate For Naismith Trophy

by Matt Dunaway, Director/Communications

ATLANTA, Georgia – Two days prior to embarking on his junior campaign, Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard was recognized as a preseason candidate for the Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year announced Monday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Hubbard has already garnered a spot on Bob Cousy Watch List which is awarded to the nation's top point guard in addition to tucking away consensus All-SEC Preseason First-Team accolades by the league's coaches and media.

The Madison, Mississippi product is one of 12 SEC players on the 50-player list which also includes Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas), Nate Ament (Tennessee), Alex Condon (Florida), Boogie Fland (Florida), Ja'Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee), Thomas Haugh (Florida), Xaivian Lee (Florida), Jaland Lowe (Kentucky), Otega Oweh (Kentucky), Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn) and Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama).

On Wednesday, State takes on North Alabama (Nov. 5 – 8 p.m. CT – SEC Network) for its 2025-26 season opener at Humphrey Coliseum and officially embark on the program's fourth season under Jans, who has guided State to three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips.

Hubbard finished his sophomore season with 1,240 career points which is the most during the 2000s and the fourth-most among SEC freshmen/sophomores trailing only Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (LSU • 1989-90), Allan Houston (Tennessee • 1990-91) and Bernard King (Tennessee • 1975-76).

Hubbard's 1,240 points is third-most in State history through 69 games and ranks 27th overall on the program's all-time list. He is joined by Bailey Howell (1957-58-59) and Jamont Gordon (2006-07-08) as the only players in school history to amass multiple seasons with 550+ points.

Hubbard has canned a school-record 108 three-pointers during each of his first two seasons. Overall, he's tied for fifth in program history with 216 three-pointers and has made a three-pointer in a school-record 47 consecutive games entering 2025-26.

Hubbard became the first State player to pile up at least 600 points and 100 assists during the same season. He was one of 10 major conferences players (ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) to accomplish the feat in 2024-25.

Hubbard and Erick Dampier are the only State players to earn All-SEC honors during their freshmen and sophomore seasons.

Jans is one of four coaches in SEC history to amass at least 21 victories and guide his squad to a NCAA Tournament appearance during each of his first three seasons. The Maroon and White are looking to secure four straight NCAA Tournament bids for the second time in program history.

Men's basketball season tickets are on sale now and start at $225, plus fees. Fans interested in purchasing new season tickets can do so by clicking HERE or calling (662) 325-2600.

Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its official social media accounts by searching 'HailStateMBK' on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Hubbard Named An Early Season Candidate For Naismith Trophy

Players Mentioned

Josh Hubbard

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